CONSUMABLE HOLDER WITH PROCESS CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20100102082A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: EBROM, MATTHEW P., MCCOY, RICHARD A., GLOTZBACH, MARK E., HENDRICKSON, MICHAEL S., LUCKMAN, JOEL A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,461,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/06 Type or material
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/16 Washing liquid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/22 Content of detergent or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/54 Changing between normal operation mode and special operation modes, e.g. service mode, component cleaning mode or stand-by mode
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 93/005 Marking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12

Abstract

A consumable holder has a source of a consumable, a first appliance coupling point configured to receive a resource from and convey the resource or consumable to an appliance configured to use the consumable and the resource in a physical operation on an article, a process control apparatus to control conveyance of the resource or consumable to and from the consumable holder, and a second appliance coupling point in communication with the process control apparatus and configured to connect to an appliance. Thus, an appliance coupled to the consumable holder can communicate with the process control apparatus via the second coupling point.

Claims

1. A consumable holder comprising

a source of a consumable;

a first appliance coupling point configured to receive a resource from and convey the resource or consumable to an appliance configured to use the consumable and the resource in a physical operation on an article;

a process control apparatus to control conveyance of the resource or consumable to and from the consumable holder; and

a second appliance coupling point in communication with the process control apparatus and configured to connect to an appliance,

whereby an appliance coupled to the consumable holder can communicate with the process control apparatus via the second coupling point.

2. A consumable holder according to claim 1 comprising at least one coupling point wherein an appliance can detect the consumable holder coupled to the appliance.

3. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising a consumable reader.

4. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the source of a consumable is one of a reservoir, a bulk dispenser, and a removable cartridge.

5. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising at least one coupling point for one of exchanging data with an appliance, conveying a consumable to an appliance, connecting to a source of information about the consumable, connecting to resource from somewhere other than the appliance, and receiving a consumable from outside the holder.

6. A consumable holder according to claim 5 wherein the source of information is a consumable reader.

7. A consumable holder according to claim 5 wherein the consumable from outside the holder includes one of a bottle, a tank, and piping from another source external to the holder.

8. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor to sense attributes about one of the source and the consumable.

9. A consumable holder according to claim 8 wherein the attributes include one of amount, brand, type, composition, structural form, and concentration.

10. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising a controller to inventory attributes from at least one consumable.

11. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein information about the source or the consumable is conveyed to a user interface.

12. A consumable holder according to claim 1 comprising more than one source for consumables.

13. A consumable holder according to claim 1 wherein the process control apparatus is configured to one of direct functionalities of an appliance, modify functionalities of an appliance, and be controlled by an appliance.

14. A consumable holder according to claim 1 further comprising an arbitrary software component configured to deliver a cycle of operation to an appliance